By Rachel Puryear

San Francisco, California, the City by the Bay, is a major city known for many things – arts and sciences, diversity, great food, culture and progressive attitudes, and it also features lots of stunning natural beauty.

Even within this major urban city, there are plenty of places to enjoy the great outdoors, get some fresh air, and appreciate awesome vistas. Accordingly, here are some of the favorite urban nature hikes within this city:

Ocean Beach and the Great Highway

Ocean Beach is a coastline that runs along the western edge of the city, and it makes for some great hikes. With the Great Highway now serving as a pedestrian walkway, you can also walk there, and enjoy the view of the ocean from a wide, paved flat surface.

Be sure to bring warm layers, as it can often be foggy and very windy out here – regardless of the time of year.

Land’s End

Nearby Ocean Beach is Land’s End, a network of trails giving great views of the ocean, the headlands, and the Golden Gate Bridge (see more about walking the bridge below).

Explore the ruins of the historic Sutro Baths, for a fascinating glimpse into San Francisco’s history.

Dress warmly and in layers out here, as it can be windy and foggy frequently.

See here for more about visiting Land’s End.

Golden Gate Park

Golden Gate Park is a jewel of San Francisco, with over 1,000 acres of natural beauty, and plenty of things to do.

See a stunning array of flowers and gardens at Strybing Arboretum and the Conservatory of Flowers – springtime is a great time to visit, too. There’s even a carnivorous plants exhibit!

Check out the De Young Museum for fine arts, and the California Academy of Sciences museum of natural history. Stop by the Japanese Tea Garden for a meditative cup of tea.

Ride a boat along the peaceful Stow Lake, take the kids for a pony ride out at Bercut Equitation Field, or shoot arrow out at the archery range.

And walk plenty of trails, check out live music and other festivals in the park, and so much more!

See here for more about visiting Golden Gate Park.

Golden Gate Bridge

This world famous bridge isn’t just for cars – the entire span of the bridge also has lanes for pedestrians and bicyclists. This bridge connects the City and County of San Francisco with Marin County (to the north).

From the bridge, you can enjoy great views of the San Francisco Bay, the city itself, Alcatraz Island, and much more.

Dress warmly and in layers for this hike, as high winds out here can be fierce!

See here for more about visiting the Golden Gate Bridge.

Mission Dolores Park

Located in the heart of the vibrant, exciting Mission District neighborhood, Mission Dolores Park offers an urban oasis of trees, walking paths, and family park amenities. Enjoy a stroll through the park, and then grab a bite to eat at one of the diverse selections of delicious cuisines offered nearby.

See here for more about visiting Mission Dolores Park.

Note: The Mission is worth visiting, and has many fantastic offerings. That said, parts of it have relatively high crime rates – so I recommend visiting during the daytime and/or with others, and being aware of your surroundings.

Presidio Hikes

The beautiful Presidio neighborhood features plenty of parks, and beautiful hikes. One favorite is the peaceful Presidio Park trail, which is easy and includes accessible paths and accessible bathrooms.

This trail also connects with Presidio Promenade Trail, and the National Cemetery Overlook, where you can pay respects to soldiers who served, and remember their sacrifices.

Also check out Lover’s Lane Trail. Although it’s certainly romantic enough to live up to its name, it also has a more wistful history of serving as a shortcut for soldiers to go and visit their sweethearts and their families. This is a more moderate intensity trail, due to having some uphill and downhill places.

Fort Funston

Fort Funston offers a network of trails with stunning views of the ocean, from high, rocky bluffs.

Fort Funston features some trails specifically designated as wheelchair accessible. It also includes some dog friendly trails, and trails for horseback riding.

If you’re into hang-gliding, this is one of the nation’s most popular spots for such – and you can easily see why.

This area also tends to be more overlooked by tourists, so you might encounter fewer crowds here than in some other areas.

See here for more about visiting Fort Funston.

Twin Peaks

If you enjoy 180° panoramic views of the city, try hiking along Twin Peaks. These are some of the best views of the city you’ll get, from within.

At night, the city lights are also a great view from up here.

Don’t miss the nearby Grandview Park, too, for high-up city views that live up to the park’s name!

---

Thank you, dear readers, for reading, following, and sharing. Here’s to seeing the great outdoors in our cities. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” and subscribe, if you have not already.

Check out my other blog, too – World Class Hugs, at https://worldclasshugs.com.

Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We appreciate your support!

Remote Income Road Trips Uncategorized Van RV life Wealth california hiking san-francisco travel usa